GC sites like YouTube have always been inherently global; now some of their
premium peers are joining their ranks. Netflix, Hulu and others all see
fruitful opportunities in reaching beyond their domestic markets.

OTT video service providers are launching their services internationally. This
report reviews their individual strategies and performance. It also highlights
the advantages that launching internationally offers both mass-market and
niche players.

Overview:

Unconstrained by the necessity to invest heavily in infrastructure in each new
country, leading OTT video players are on the move. Netflix, Hulu, and the
BBC's iPlayer have all, to some degree, expanded outside their domestic
markets to launch elsewhere.

International OTT video services will have to exploit their advantages where
they can as they compete with rivals that have a very similar service. They
will have to use what advantages they have be that their connected device
reach or their sophisticated recommendation system. But relying on these alone
is not enough, international OTT video services must ensure they are sensitive
to local preferences. Investment in local content is vital, otherwise users
will see little value in the service.

But international OTT is not only about providing mass-market services, it
offers a unique opportunity for niche services be that by genre or targeted
towards certain ethnic groups. With the rollout of the Global iPlayer, BBC
Worldwide is attempting to build direct relationships with British expats and
Anglophiles in many major markets. Although taken individually, subscriber
numbers in each of these markets can only ever be small, taken as a total, the
subscriber base could be substantial.